'Menacing' thug jailed for threats

MENACING troublemaker Ashley Burns has been jailed for six months after brandishing a meat cleaver and later telephoning and threatening to kill a witness.

Burns, 25, who has previously lived in Cleethorpes and Grimsby, admitted intimidating Kyle Ralph as a witness and assaulting him in Grimsby.

He believed Mr Ralph was seeing his ex-girlfriend so went round to see him on October 2, picked up a meat cleaver and brandished it, Grimsby Crown Court heard.

Mr Ralph thought he was going to be assaulted, but was not.

Burns later called Rachel MacDougal on October 5 and told her: "Ralphy made a statement. I'll kill him."

Richard Hackfath, mitigating, said Burns had just been released from custody at the time and had resumed his relationship with a girlfriend that had broken down. He was depressed and was drinking and taking diazepam.

He was trying to make the best of his time in prison and was determined that, when he came out, he would be a good father to his children. He had written to apologise to Mr Ralph, who was now supporting him.